Lifter and conveyer for invalid-beds.



J. GERMAN. LIPTDD AND DDNVDYBD PDD INVALID BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30,1912. 1,05 1 ,728. Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

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WITNESS/5S Y INVENTOR ZMM l J. GERMAN.

LIFTER AND CONVBYER POR INVALID BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30, 1912.

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Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

Unire JOHN GERMAN, 0F RICHLAND CENTER, WISCONSIN.

LIF'I'ER AND CONVEYER FOR INVALID-BEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28,1913.

- Application Ied January 30, 1912. Serial No. 674,251.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN GERMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richland Center, in the county of Richland and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Lifter and Conveyer for lnvalid-Beds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to lifters and conveyers for invalid beds for use in hospitals and otherwise where such articles of furniture are desirable or necessary, and has reference more particularly to the combination of a bed, an auxiliary support adapted to be positioned upon the bed to receive the patient, and means for moving the support in a plurality of directions and for removing it entirely from the bed to a point remote from the same, the means serving to hold the support in different operative positions when it is removed from the bed.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective lifting and conveying device which can be used with invalid beds having auxiliary supports adapted to rest upon the bed proper and to receive the patient, by means of which the auxiliary support can be readily raised and. lowered to permit the bed to be remade when necessary, without disturbing the patient, by means of which the auxiliary support can be entirely removed from the bed and advanced toa point at one side or the other thereof, with the patient upon the auxiliary support, which permits thel auxiliary support to be arranged in different adjustments to allow the patient to assume different postures, and which permits the patient to be removed from the bed without discomfort to him.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a 4plan view of the means for moving and holding the auxiliary support used with the invalid bed; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the entire device showing a bed associated therewith, and indicating certain of the parts in broken outlines; Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the auxiliary support and the means for manipulating and holding the same, certain of the parts being indicated in different positions in broken outlines; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the auxiliary support.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention it should be clearly understood that any suitable type of couch or bed can be used with the same, the invention residing primarily in the auxiliary support for the bed and the means, as will be shown hereinafter, for manipulating and holding the auxiliary support.

Although the invention is intended primarily for use in hospitals, or the like, it can also be employed under other circumstances where it is advisable to move or disturb the occupant of the bed as little as possible; as, for instance, in the case of a person who is seriously ill or suffering from the after-effects of an operation.

Certain of the details of construction shown herewith form no part of the invention, and can be varied according to individual preference and special conditions without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a convenient type of bed 10 is shown, having the usual mattress or other body support 11, ends 12 and supporting legs 13. The auxiliary support 14 which I employ is positioned upon the mattress of the bed, and comprises a frame having side bars 15 and end or cross bars 16. Each of the side bars consists of three parts connected by suitable pivot joints 17. The head part of each side bar is materially longer than the two remaining parts, as is clearlyshown in Figs. 3 and 4. By providing the jointed construction shown the auxiliary support may be arranged in a substantially flat position or with its component parts arranged angularly with respect to each other, so that the patient thereon can recline at full length,

or, for example, in a sitting position, as is indicated in Fig. 3. Suitable flexible strips 18 of canvas or the like are stretched across the frame of the auxiliary support, and have at their ends sleeves or pockets 19 by means of which they are mounted upon the side bars of the support. The joints 17 are so constructed that the partsof the side bars tend frictionally to maintain their relative positions.

I employ a framework comprising posts or uprights 20, preferably four in number and arranged at the respective corners of a rectangle. At the upper ends the posts are connected by longitudinal members 21 and end members 22 consisting preferably of channels opening inwardly. The posts at the upper ends have laterally extended heads 23 upon which the members 21 and 22 rest, and the framework is provided with corner pieces 24 bolted or otherwise secured to the members, and aiding to secure and brace the parts of the framework. A carriage 25 is movably mounted upon the framework and comprises transverse meinbers 26 and longitudinal members 27 fashioned from angular pieces, or the like, bolted or otherwise secured together. The members 26 of the carriage are extended at the ends and provided with rollers 28 mountedupon spindle bolts 29 to rest within the channels 21, which constitute tracks therefor and permitthe carriage to be moved longitudinally of the framework.

The members 22 near their centers have upwardly disposed bearing brackets 30, each having journaled therein a sprocket wheel 31. A chain 32 travels around the sprockets 31 and has the ends secured respectively to the members 26 of the carriage. The spindle 33 of one of the sprockets 31 is Aexn tended longitudinally of its frame member 22 and is journaled in a second bracket 34 at the side of the framework. It is provided at its free end with a hand crank 35 by means of which it can be turned to drive the sprocket 31. It will be readily understood that by turning the sprocket in one direction or the other the carriage will be caused to travel longitudinally of the Y framework.

` rotated. Wound partly upon the drums are flexible members 39 consisting of cords, wire, or the like, which have their lower ends secured respectively near the corners of the frame of the auxiliary support. 1t will be readily understood that by suit-ably turning the hand cranks of the drums the support can be raised or lowered from and to the bed 1G. 1f it is desired to remove the auxiliary support and the patient thereon entirely from the bed the drums are actuated to raise the support. To prevent the support from descending gravitationally I provide each drum with a dog and ratchet device 40 which prevents the return rotation of the drum. It will be understood that a-fter the auxiliary support has been raised it can be moved laterally by means of the chain 32 and the actuating mechanism therefor. 1t should be noted that the bed 10 is in no way permanently associated with the frame of the auxiliary supportand the manipulating mechanism. The bed, fur thermore, can by itself be arranged in different positions relative to the framework, as may be desirable or necessary. v

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :f Y

1. A device of the character described, comprising a framework provided with a pair of channel members disposed parallel to each other, the channel in each channel member opening toward the other channel member, a carriage disposed intermediate said channel members and provided with rollers extending thereinto for the purpose of supporting said carriage, a body support, flexible connections extending from said carriage. to said body support, and means controllable at the will of the operator for virtually varying the length of said flexible connections.

2. The combination of a framework, a carriage movable relatively to said framework, flexible connections dependent from said carriage, means controllable at the will of the operator for virtually lengthening and shortening said flexible connections each independently of the others, and a body support carried by said flexible connections, said body support being provided with joints for enabling different portions of said body support to be adjusted one relatively to another.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of longitudinal members disposed parallel to each other and serving as tracks, a carriage supported by said tracks and movable relatively thereto, flexible connections dependent from different port-ions of said carriage, means controllable at the will of the operator for raising and lowering said flexible connections independently of each other, and a body support mounted upon said flexible connect-ions and adapted to assume different positions as permitted by the length of said flexible connections, said body support containing bars connected together by joints and movable relatively to each other upon said joints as name to this specification in the presence'of lc)enters for tiie purpose of' adjusting1 said tWo subscribing Witnesses.

ars into di erent positions re ative y to each other, the adjustment into said posi- JOHN GERMAN' 5 tions being facilitated by the virtual length Witnesses:

of said flexible connections. FLORENCE A. PARKE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my H. J. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtined for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

